Friday Michigan Recruiting Roundup: In high regard from several 2020 recruits

Welcome to another Friday Michigan Recruiting Roundup, ladies and gents.

Today, we are taking a look at three 2020 recruits that seem to hold Michigan in high regard, whether they have an offer or not.

You should be familiar with this recruit.

3-star QB recaps ‘really cool experience’ at U-M

Willie Taggart Jr., son of Florida State head coach Willie Taggart, and his family have known Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh a long time. So when Taggart Jr., a 3-star prospect from Tallahassee, visited Ann Arbor for Junior Day last weekend, he felt right at home.

“That was my first time being treated like a normal recruit and not just for coach Taggart’s son,” he told The Michigan Insider’s Josh Newkirk ($). “So it was a really cool experience. I was shown through the facilities and the locker room and everything. I got to take my picture in the uniform like a normal kid and everything. So it was pretty cool.”

He also said he is eyeing a return trip to Michigan this summer, as well as Kentucky, Auburn and some other SEC schools.

Taggart Jr. does not hold an offer from Michigan just yet, and he admitted distance is going to play a factor in his recruitment, so I would not expect to see Taggart Jr. in a U-M uniform in the future. It’s still nice to see he is intrigued by what U-M could potentially offer him, that is, if Michigan offers him at all.

U-M ‘really high up’ on list for No. 1 player in Illinois

The Wolverines were able to get the No. 1 player in the state of Illinois, 4-star Trevor Keegan, to sign his letter of intent to play at Michigan during the 2019 recruiting class. And now the Wolverines are in play for the No. 1 player in Illinois in the 2020 class.

4-star A.J. Henning, the No. 51 overall player in the country and No. 8 wide receiver, was offered by Michigan last April and visited last weekend for Junior Day. He caught up with TMI’s Steve Wiltfong ($) to recap his visit.

“It was a great visit,” Henning said. “I got to see everything as far as the academic side of Michigan, got to see all the facilities, got to sit down with the coaching staff and see what they’re bringing to the table. I talked to (new offensive coordinator) coach (Josh) Gattis about the things they’re going to do on offense next year and my place in the offense.”

One of the major selling points to Gattis bringing in a new offense is telling players like Henning they are what he needs to have his offense flourish. Henning explained if he were to commit to Michigan, he would be “moved around” by playing the slot and outside, all while doing jet motions.

“(Michigan is) really high up on the list for me,” Henning said. “They’ve been recruiting me since probably last spring when I received an offer from them. I’ve been building a great relationship with the coaches. I think for the future now is continuing to build that relationship with the new coach, coach Gattis and get to know that relationship better.”

The 5-foot-10, 175-pounder from Frankfort, Illinois holds offers from the best of the best, including Ohio State, Notre Dame, LSU, Miami, Michigan State, Penn State, Stanford, Tennessee, Wisconsin and more.

4-star DE says U-M offer something ‘I have been wanting’

Michigan defensive line coach Shaun Nua has not been a Wolverine coach for long, but he is already making his name known among 2020 recruits.

He went to North Carolina earlier this week and gave a scholarship offer to 4-star defensive end Kedrick Bingley-Jones, a native of Charlotte.

“It’s an offer that I have been wanting because Michigan is a great academic school along with football,” he told TMI’s Brice Marich ($). “It means a lot to be offered by one of the top programs in the country, but also a good academic public school.”

The 6-foot-4.5, 266-pounder also told Marich he is “very interested” in Michigan and would like to visit in the future.

“I’d like to (visit Michigan),” Bingley-Jones said. “I’d just have to see when I could schedule a good time. I know they have dentistry as a program there, so I hope to get to go in-depth with that and I want to see the Big House definitely.

“I want a great relationship with the coach and have what I want to study (dentistry) and have that home feeling.”

Bingley-Jones was once committed to the University of Florida, but decided to explore other options and de-commit from the program. Because of that, he told Marich he intends on taking things a little slower this time around so he doesn’t make another premature decision on his future college.

That’s all for this week! Be sure to check back with us on Monday for another recruiting roundup!